PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 25 



82. SABBATIA. Nutt. Gen. 206. 

 [Dedicated to two Italian Botanists, of the name of Sabbati.} 



Gal. 5 to 12 parted. Cor. 5 to 12 parted. Stigmas 2, spn&l. ^jifAcrs finally revolute. Caps. 1 celled. 



S. ANGULARis. Bait. Fl. Phil. Stem 4 angled, winged ; leaves ovate, amplexicaul; flowers corymbose. 



Synon. Chironia angularis. Mukl. Mx. IVilld. Fu/gfo— Centaury. 



Fl. Beginning of August, and after. Fr. mat. Beginning of October. 



Hah. Sterile old fields; Barrens: frequent. 1 to 2 feet high : flowers palish red; often Hcxandrous. 



Obs. This handsome herb is an intense bitter; and deservedly popular as a tonic medicine. It is niuoh 

 more abundant some years than others. Dr. Smith {in Cyclop.) does not approve of this genus; but hav- 

 ing received the sanction of such Botmists as Pursli, Elliott, and Nuttall, I have thought ii best to retain ii. 



83. DATURA. Nutt. Gen. 200, 



[Obscure; supposed to be from Datora {ox tatorah,) the Arabic name of the plant. De Theis.] 



Cal. tubular, angular, deciduous. Cor. funnel-form, plicate. Caps. 1 celled, 4 valved, spiiiose, or smooth. 



D. straiviontum. Ell. Peiicarps spinose, erect, ovate; leaves ovate, sinuate, glabrous. 



rw/g'o— James-town (or corruptlj', Jimson,) weed. Thorn-apple. French Chesnut. 



Fl. Beginning of July till September. />. mat. Beginning of October. 



Ilah. About houses; lanes, barn-yards, roadsides, he. common. 2 to 5 feet high; flowers pale purple. 



Obs. This plant is said to be a native of America; but it has every appearance of having been introtUi- 

 ced, and merely naturalized, in this region. It possesses powerful medical propeilies; for an account of 

 which see Dr. S. Cooper's Inaugural Thesis, 1797— and some later works. The root, smoked like tobac- 

 co, is a popular remedy for asthmatic affections, in this neighborhood; and I have never known any mis- 

 chievous consequences to result from it— though Mr. Elliott states that bad effects have en.sued the practice. 

 It certamly is a plant possessed of such active properties as to require prudence and .skill in the use of it. 

 Boerhaave, in his ^isiorta P/ania?-M?n, gives the following account of it — ''hacutuntur nieretrices Javan.- 

 enses, dum a primariis sunt conduct*, turn banc plantam maritissuis dant et delirii species subseiiuitur, 

 itnde coram maritis lascivia utuutur, et si haec planta in majori copia detur; stupidi maaent, langaeut et tan- 

 •emmoriuntur." 



84. VERBASCUM. Nitft. Gen. 203. 



IQu&si Barbascum; from the Lat. Barba, beard— on account of its bearded, hajry, or woolly leaves.] 

 Cal. 5 parted. Cor. rotate, 3 lobed, unequal. Stam. declined, bearded. Caps. 2 celled; valves inflected. 

 V, THAPsus. Ell. Whole plant very tomentose; leaves lanceolate, decurrent; stem simplet 

 Vulgo — Common IMullein. 



Fl. Middle of June, and after. Fr. mat. Last of August, and after. 



Hab. Fields, and roadsides; every where common. 3 to 6 feet high: flowers yellow. 



Obs. Native of Europe; but superabundantly naturalized. An infusion of the leaves is somewhat pop- 

 Ular as a remedy in Dysentery, but is probably little worth. Piirsh says this plant sometimes makes its ap- 

 pearance, in a sudden and mysterious manner, in remote parts of the country, where the grounds have been 

 newiy cleared and burnt: but similar mysteries attend the propagation of several other plaiU3,-and mo-;t 

 orve et' t ^^^ solved by a little more attention to, and a better acquaintance with, the economy 



y . BLATTARiA. Ell. Lcavcs amplexicaul, oblong, serrate, glabrous; peduncles 1 flowered, solitary. 



Vulgo— Moth Mullein. 



.H. Middle of June, and after. F,-. mat. Middle of August, and after. 



Mab. Pasture fields, and fence-rows; frequent. 1 to 3 feet high: flowers whitish, with tinges of red. 



We 'ohtifv.^^'^^'^K^''" , ^^^ ■'■^"^'y "^'"^ 2''^''"" ^o^^^^ -^as not yet been seen iu this vicinitv; though I 

 fta\ e ob»er\ ed it m abundance on the vacant lots in Philadelphia. - > 6 



85. CONVOLVULUS. Nutt. Gen. 190. 

 [Lat. Convolve, to wrap, intwine, or wind about: descriptive of the plant.] 

 Cal. 5 parted. Cor. campanulate, plicate. Stigmas 2, oblong, or globose. Caps. 2 or 3 celled. 



C. PANDURATUs. Ell. Stem voluble, often prostrate; leaves cordate, entire or lobed, aud panduntform. 



FM/g:o— Bind-weed. Wild Potato-vine. 



h. Latter end of July, and after. Fr. mat. IMiddle of September. 



ILib. Old fields, feuce-rows, &c. frequent. 3 to C feel long: flowers white, olten red at the bottom. 



Obs. This species embraces several txiricijfs, or else the descriptions are much confused. I have also 

 specimens with leaves uniformly cordate, and acumisate; peduncles shortfr than tlie ]ietiolf^, flow.-is 

 White, and biigmas globose; marked by Mr. Schweinitz "C. Si2>iiun amerka!Uua."-UK/!ii>[bh a vafiety 

 of C. revais, uescnbed by Mr. Elliott. i j j 



